Non-Ilonggos do not know what a batwan (or batuan) fruit looks like. To us Ilonggos, there’s one ingredient that differentiates our cuisine from others, and that is batuan fruit. The best friend of an Ilonggo cook and the not-so-secret souring ingredient in our well loved Ilonggo food such as cansi, pinamalhan, KBL (kadyos, baboy, langka) and sinigang. Batwan to us is what tamarind is to Tagalogs.
We even grew up with a riddle, although it may sound a little corny. An Ilonggo would say to a non-Ilonggo that “There are many fruits in the forest, batuan (pronounced like ‘but one’) is the best. What is it?” The non-Ilonggos would have to guess that ‘one’ fruit. The Ilonggo would then reply, ‘Batwan gani.’ The same question and answer would be repeated until the non-Ilonggo would become exasperated and the Ilonggo would tell him that batwan is the name of the tree and its fruit.
What is Batwan/Batuan?
Batwan (Garcinia binucao) is a wild tree that grows up to 25 meters in the lowland forests of Southeast Asia. Batwan fruit is somewhat round in shape, around 4 cm in diameter, greenish in color which turned yellowish when mature. They have a firm outer covering and contain a very sour pulp with 4-6 seeds. It has a sour taste but not acidic to the stomach like vinegar and calamansi.
Batwan sometimes spelled batuan is related to mangosteen. You might have read other online articles referring to batwan as Garcinia morella but I’ve asked biologists at Co’s Digital Flora of the Philippines and they confirmed that Batuan is Garcinia binucao.
Some would claim that they only grew in the forests of Negros but I digress. Batwan is a staple in our kitchen in Oton, Iloilo where I grew up. Batwan is often brought to our markets by vendors from Guimbal and Miag-ao which led me to believe they only grow in upland areas. I couldn’t be more wrong. It is only here in Negros where I saw an actual batwan tree and not in the mountains but in my friend’s house in Victorias City. Having seen a real batwan tree once, I can recognize it anywhere. I saw several ancestral houses in Bacolod City and Silay City with batuan trees. Yes, they grow in lowland areas too.
Although we Ilonggos would love to claim batuan as endemic to us, it is not only abundant in Negros and Panay but in most parts of the Philippines as well. Our batuan is also called ballok (Benguet); balikot (Ilocos Norte); bangkok (Zambales); bilukao (Rizal, Bataan, Batangas, Camarines); binukao (Laguna, Bataan, Batangas, Camarines); buragris (Camarines); kamangsi (Tayabas); kandis (Palawan); kamurai; kulilem (Cagayan); and maninila (Albay). Batuan also grows abundantly in Vietnam where it is called binucao.
Ilonggo Food Using Batuan Fruit
Batuan is widely used in cooking as souring agent in Negros and Panay islands in the Visayas. Apparently, we Ilonggos are the only ones who developed a sort of attachment to batuan’s flavor. Batuan is the Ilonggo’s favorite souring agent for famous dishes KBL (kadyos, baboy, langka), cansi, pinamalhan and sinigang. You can use batuan for any recipe which uses a souring agent.
Health Benefits of Batuan (According to Science)
I’am happy to know that there already research being done on our favorite batwan fruit. Be wary of medicinal claims made on batuan without a research to back it up.
Batuan for Prevention of Diabetes
In the 2017 Regional Invention Contest and Exhibit (RICE), student researchers Leann Patrice Ganzon and Anne Nicole Occeña, both in Grade 10 in a Special Science Class at the Iloilo National High School, looked at the therapeutic potential of batuan in preventing type 2 diabetes mellitus and their study was judged the best in Western Visayas for Student Creative Research for High School.
The study found that the leaf and fruit of batuan are potential remedies in lowering postprandial hyperglycemia, a common diabetes complication that happens after eating resulting in abnormally high blood glucose or blood sugar level. The study also looked into the biologically active content of batuan and how its antioxidant properties counter the production of free radicals that damage cells. Hopefully further research can be done on this so that batuan may one day join the list of Philippine medicinal plants approved by the Department of Health.
Batuan for Weight Loss
Here is also an interesting study in 2016 by Loraine Bainto of UP Los Baños on the isolation and stability of hydroxycitric acid from Batuan. Hydroxycitric acid is a compound with anti-obesity property and is commonly extracted from Garcinia cambogia, a tree belonging to the same genus as batuan. Results revealed that the extracted acid from batuan ranges from 4.81 to 4.83 g/100 g sample therefore batuan is a potential source of hydroxycitric acid.
These studies are not yet conclusive but they show that batuan has potential use in medicine. There is also another study which determined the physicochemical properties, nutritional and sensory quality of Batuan in different stages of fruit maturity. This study by Elizabeth Quevedo of Visayas State University is important for future research for possible product development. I’m happy to note that she used my article as one of her references.
Batuan Products & Where to Buy Them
For Ilonggos and Negrenses who are away from home, there are now companies who processed batuan so you can still cook your favorite KBL or linaga.
Batuan Puree
Our office once had a visitor from Laguna whose mother hails from Capiz. She asked me where she can buy batwan since her mom asked for it. Fortunately, our itinerary included La Castellana so I took her on a side trip to ECJ Farms at Hda. Candelaria, San Enrique so she can buy some batuan puree. It must be her lucky day! We saw two plastic crates of just-harvested batuan outside the pasalubong shop so we asked the saleslady if we can buy 2 kilograms of batwan fruits. She was hesitant at first since they are not selling fresh batuan and the batuan fruits we saw were meant to be processed into puree.
Pangbulong sa hidlaw (Cure for longing), I told the saleslady. She must have understood how it is to be away from home so she sold us the batuan at only P10 per kilo. That’s a giveaway since it’s currently sold for P1 per piece at the Sari-Sari Store.
Ilonggos continually long for batuan wherever they are in the world. It’s unique sour taste brings back happy memories of childhood and the food we grew up with. I’ve met Ilonggos is Mindanao and Luzon who say they would ask their visiting relatives to bring them batuan fruits. It’s quite fortunate that ECJ Farms developed the technology to bottle batuan puree, bringing this well-loved ingredient closer to Ilonggo homes. Batuan puree is sold at ECJ Farms’ outlet in Tiendesitas while it is sold in Bacolod at the Negros Showroom.
Batuan Powder
The NVC-Foundation recently launched their newly-developed batuan powder and they’re selling it online. However, due to limited supply, they’re limiting the number of packs per order to 10 packs only.
Another company producing and selling batuan powder is VTN food products under the brand name Kitchen Happiness. Their store is located in front of Talisay City gymnasium.
Ready-To-Drink Batuan Juice
There’s no ready-to-drink batuan juice yet, it has some potential and Dwi Yuwono Krisanto of UP Los Baños made a study on it in 2015. This study examines the determinants of the water ratio for ready-to-drink juices and the sensory analysis he made showed the most preferred batuan extract and water ratio was 1:3. You might want to try this and please tell us how it tastes.
How to Propagate Batuan
Probably the country’s first and only batwan plantation can be found in Negros Occidental. ECJ Farms, owned by Danding Cojuanco, has a 10-hectare batuan fruit plantation. They also process batuan into puree which make it easier to transport for all those Ilonggos living somewhere else and craving for batuan for their authentic Ilonggo dishes.
I don’t know how ECJ Farms propagate batwan but based on a study on the “Lesser Known Edible Tree Species” compiled by Helen B. Florido and Fe F. Cortiguerra published by the Ecosystems Research and Development Board (ERDB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), here’s how to propagate batuan:
Enclose the area covered by the crown of the mother tree and apply compost in it. Allow the ripe fruits to fall. In two years, the seeds of fallen will germinate.
It’s quite difficult to propagate batwan, some say it takes as long as 6 months to 2 years to germinate. No wonder you can’t just grow it from the fruit you buy from the market. I’m glad a friend from Isabela gave me batuan seedlings. Apparently, it is being propagated in their municipality. If you want to impress plant-loving friends, try to give them batuan seedlings. I gave the other two of my seedlings to friends who were just as happy as I was in receiving the seedlings. We can now sit back and wait for perhaps 5 to 7 years before we can reap the fruits from our batuan trees. Though it would also help to pray that our batwan plants are females since batuan is said to be dioecious. Only female batuan trees bear fruits while the flower of a male batwan tree will just fall off. You can also buy grafted batuan seedlings in garden shows which usually sells at P250 per seedling.
Final Thoughts
The importance of batuan fruit in Ilonggo cuisine is also recognized by the Department of Agriculture. The agency has included batuan as one of the species subjected to DNA barcoding/fingerprinting for resource identification, conservation and protection project. This will enable the Philippines to claim ownership of the fruit so that other interested parties will have to acknowledge the Philippines as the source of the species.
I just love our local cuisine and to share this love for Ilonggo food, my husband and I gave grafted batuan seedlings to our guests in our wedding, among other local fruit trees. They don’t come cheap but we’d rather give something that bear fruit rather than trinkets that just gather dust. The seller was so happy he gave me several large pots of grafted batuan trees with fruits.
gud evening poh… may procedure poh ba kayo pano gagawa ng batwan powder at puree, marami kasi yan dito sa amin di namin alam kong ano ang processing nyan, pwedy pala pagkakitaan… respect response… i hope meron para naman mapakinabangan namin ang batwan fruit dito sa amin…
place: hinatuan, surigao del sur
The family lived in Catbalogan, Samar in the late 50’s and this is where I tasted pickled batwan. So delish, the kids loved this pickled fruit.
I don’t see it here in Laguna. Am glad that there is a powder and puree form of Batwan in Tiendesitas.
Hello! It was in Masbate that I first tasted Batwan many many years ago. My mom is from there and they pickle it. I immediately fell in love with the taste that up to now, I order pickled Batwan. I just love the sweet and sour taste of it. You’ll probably want to drink the juice! My daughter has fallen in love with it too!
In fact, I have about 10 kilos of pickled Batwan now! If you want some, let me know. 🙂
how much po sir per kilo of pickeld batwan, im Mr.alvin f. Santillan from Legazpi City
It is Batuan season in Guiuan, E. Samar during summer. Pickled batuan in glass jars are everywhere, you can buy it tingi-tingii or the whole jar as pasalubong😍
Wow thank you for this very informative blog on Batwan! I just have one question, how should the fruit be stored? I just placed the bag of batwan and 2 packs of Kadyos in the ref. Mali ata…
Good day miss Glady,
I’m so excited with your idea in giving grafted batuan as wedding trinkets (so druidic, and i like it very much). May I know if there is someone who can supply maybe 200 pcs? Anyone we can contact and do business with? It’s really a brilliant idea miss Glady. We will deeply appreciate a reply. Thank you and God bless you always.
Hi John, thanks for visiting my blog! The Bureau of Plant Industry in La Garanja, La Carlota may be able to help you. I’ll also try to look up the number of my previous supplier.
where is it available… store?
hello po! ask ko lang po sana if may alam po kayo kung when yung fruiting season ng batuan? we plan to pursue it for our research pero since seasonal siya, baka wala po kaming makunan ng source if ever 🙁
thank you po talaga in advance!
I went to Hinigaran, Negros Occidental lastbNov 10-15 and there are lots of Batuan selling in the market 😀.
Pag naka uwi ako ng iloilo this january 2018 just email me at dgalirod@yahoo.com
Madami ba need mo?
Hello po. Tanomg ko lang po if you can get a verified batuan/garcinia binucao? Hehehe i know na super tagal na po nitong post nyo but badly need din po kasi sa research namin. Thanks in advance!
You mean where to buy the fruit? It’s ifavailable locally here in Bacolod but I’m not sure if there are stores selling them in Metro Manila.
May recipe ba kayo ng batuan candy?
Pareho ng sinigang instead of sampaloc just put batuan. When I cook sinigang na isda, I boiled water with salt and slices of onions first, then add pieces of batwan (3-4pcs) and bring it to boil again then add the fish, bring it to boil and add your other vegetables.
Can you export batwan to the UK? Missing it. I am an Ilonggo.no batwan in UK
Glady Reyes Siyempre motherhood matters first, hija. We'll be in Dumaguete this November but will not be going to Bacolod until early next year. Will let you know.
Nice to hear from you Richard! It's been a long time since I updated the blog and I'm glad you're still following. Sayang nung nagbisita kayo dito katatapos lang ni Yolanda. Let me know next time you're in town. 😀
We are not Negrenses but my wife, whose family hails from Cavite knew about the batwan that makes cansi and Negros style sinigang different from the bulalo and sinigang of Batangas and Cavite. Thanks for the info. Will surely buy the bottled batwan puree next time we visit Bacolod.
Im looking to buy dried kadyos for planting around 1 kilo. Can anyone provide me with it?
Please send me email at ravinaj21@yahoo.com. Thanks.
Ako ay isang Taiwanese negosyante, gusto kong bumili ng mga 5000kg ng kadios (kalapati gisantes) (itim, dry), upang mag-alok o ipakilala mga mangangalakal sa akin, salamat sa iyo.
hi! may i know where we can buy batuan seedlings please? please email me at marjuent@yahoo.com. thanks
I want to buy 5000kg kadios (dry), introduce manufacturers to me, thank you
my thesis is about batwan.hopefully mkagraduate ako :)hehe
good day po maam me buto ako ng batwan n balak namin i propagate any technique na mai share mo sa amin how to germinate batwan. maraming salamat po
hi guys! any idea how far from each other should I plant my batuan seedlings? A friend gave me 3 seedlings. Thanks.
namit gid ang batuan sa lauya balahaw..
there is a saying at home that goes… “lain gid ya ang aslum sang batuan” hahaha my parents swear by the power of the batuan. i think i might beg the yaya to bring batuan to manila when she comes back. i can only take so much sinigang sa miso.
You should. Kay man ang mga instant sinigang mix masyado kaaslum.
@glady’s ….. As my forefathers used to tell me, plant the Batuan tree in two’s or else it will not bear fruit or not as aboundant as those in pairs. In local terms, kinanlan may lalaki nga kahoy para mamunga ang babayi hehehehe ….. and dont plant the tree in your front yard or somewhere that it can be seen from your gate. It should be basically planted at the back. Estorya sang kalolohan ko ni but I guess there is no harm in trying. I remember when my Dad planted our batuan trees in our front yard ng aslom ang pangabuhi …. just picked up when our batuan tree started to bear fruit. And it took years before the tree produced.
I guess I have to plant 2 then to get a higher chance of getting a female batuan. I haven’t heard of that pamahiin before. Mayo lang sa likod balay ko gintanum ang batuan. Ugaling may dalan man sa likod ti kataon man gihapon. hehehe
Everytime a friend or relative goes here in Manila .. My wife would always ask for batwan as pasalubong, along with the “big” pinakas being sold in Central Market, and kadios. Menu for the next day would be pinakas, calo-calo, sunny-side-up eggs, and strong barako coffee for breakfast. KBL for lunch …. And KBL (again!) for dinner .. 🙂
Incidentally, everytime we go to the wet-markets here, the vegetable vendors do not have kadios. Another funny thing also is that, some of them do not know what it is (really!). At one point we ended up singing Bahay-Kubo, just to jog an elderly tindera’s memory that there’s “kadios”.. 🙂
Until one time, we were strolling along a Quiapo wet-market, (my wife and I are pala-lagaw) when we chanced upon a young girl selling kadios. We bought 4 kilos! Thanks for the tip on the batwan puree, I think we have a destination this coming weekend.
Hmm…I’m not sure Bahay-Kubo has kadyos in it. To have my own kadyos, I have several plants it in my backyard. You really can’t take the farm from the girl. My 100 sq.m. vacant lot is turning to be an urban garden. 😀
Kadios usually bears fruits between the months of February and May
What a comprehensive story about batuan. . . The story made me reminisce my childhood where i would always sit under the batuan tree in our small farm. . I have a batuan tree planted in my backyard and how i wish that it would grow faster so to see it bearing with fruits. . . Though sour, i really love it. .
Hahaha! Stop patronizing my friend. This is a blog post and not an entry for the Palanca Awards.
Anyway, we don’t give much attention to the lowly batuan since we have easy access to it but it has gained a sort of a superstar status in the culinary world. Try searching Google and you’ll see how much people, even non-Ilonggos, are talking about it.